Pioneers Bar NYC

This bar is an amazing spot to unwind and have fun with friends. There’s a great mix of games, well-made drinks, and an atmosphere that instantly pulls you in. The décor is creative and eye-catching, giving the place its own personality, and it makes every visit feel special. I enjoy the vibe so much that I keep thinking of reasons to come back. I’ve been searching for the perfect place to host my birthday, and this bar has quickly moved to the top of my list. It’s fun, relaxed, and memorable—exactly what you want for a great night out.

You just found Manhattan’s best kept secret! We happened upon this bar wanting some chill vibes and to play couple rounds of pool. Walking in the atmosphere is extremely homey and welcoming. The decorations were awesome and we loved the big screens to watch football and the couches were insanely comfortable. They have great local brewery options on tap! We ended up playing some giant jenga and connect four as well.

Absolutely love this place. Shout out to Casey and the rest of the bar team. Great vibes, friendly service. Definitely come here for a fun night out where you will be treated with courtesy and friendliness. The staff here nurture a fun yet safe vibe for patrons which is so important when out. Multiple bathrooms and all are gender neutral. Plus lots of games. They also have a house pool league team full of amateur friendly players that meet once a week for league games. Heard they are always looking for new members. Great way to meet new friends and try something new.

I hosted my birthday here and they went above and beyond! The drinks were great and my friends enjoyed all the games here. The bartenders were super attentive (shoutout to Malachi and Connor!).

A wonderful place to enjoy games and drinks with friends 🔥 absolutely love the vibe and theme of this bar. I’ve been looking for a place to throw my birthday party and it’s giving !!!! Looking forward to coming back with friends I was in the area after I stopped by at Loopys For Kalbi🤯 perfect after activity after a big bite ✨🙏🏼 drinks are reasonable , music is great and the place is spacious . I didn’t try their food I got the frozen pina coloda and let me tell you one had me 🥴

Nahhh. Bad-looking place, mediocre service. Even the domestic beer is overpriced, bartenders don’t bother filling the pint to the rim, and it tastes like it came straight from the heater. Skip it, you’ve got plenty of better bars in the heart of Midtown

We stayed right next door to the Pioneer at the Doubletree. Of the 4 nights we were in New York we spent some time in the Pioneer Bar almost every night. Cool little bar with great staff. Wasn't too crowded.

Best place to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The bartender, Casey, is a gem of a person. He made sure we all have a great time.

Came here for a birthday party and had the best time!! I will say I was a little nervous about ordering food because the menu didn't sound appetizing but we got the popcorn chicken and it was SO good. It came out in a metal bowl which was odd, but it totally hit the spot! Pioneers opened on 12/12/12 and is the first bar to open on 29th St between Sixth Ave and Seventh Ave. It's a quick walk from MSG and Penn Station so great to stop in if you're going to an event! Pioneers has arcade games toward the back of the bar so overall it has a fun vibe. We learned that if you bring more than 10 people (I think 10?) that the host gets to drink for free.

Fun, laid back dive in midtown/chelsea. Friendly bartenders. Decent priced drinks and even a small menu. I've never seen anyone eating anything other than popcorn though. Def not the place you want to grab a meal..more so drinks and maybe drunken munchies later. Cute decor and fun games to play. Lots of tables and bar seats. Def worth checking out if you're in the area.

Came on a Friday night !! Fun place, good music and a lot of places to chill and play games. Strong drinks and service was great!

Pioneers is a very laidback bar with a lot of fun games to play while grabbing a couple drinks. The drinks were a bit watered down but they're cheap so in all honesty it didn't matter much to me. I think the best thing I decided to do was play jenga as it's not something you do every day (or maybe that's just me) and tbh I would return back just for that and the other games.

Amazing bar !! Went for my bday. So fun. There was a lot of room to have a bigger group of people to come over.

Finally returned after years last night. I lost at Jenga. The popcorn is no longer free *cries*

I left a horrible bar and this place saved the night! The only reason why this bar isn't 5 stars is because they don't have tequila. No Patron, no Don Julio, no Casamigos, nothing. Other than that, the service and fun at this bar is unmatched. I have already been here multiple times but I will always keep coming back. Shoutout to Chris for making some great drinks.

Totally recommend Pioneer.. definitely a after hour spot to hang out with friends. Great customer service and definitely treat dodger fans with open arms. Will definitely come back to this place. #dodgers #yankees #worldseries2024

This is my kind of place. It is a fun sports bar with tons of games. You will find a punching machine, a basketball game, pool table, foosball, pinball and more. And best of all, these machines are all very cheap at $1 or $2 per play. There also have some free board games (Connect 4 and Jenga) too. They have reasonably priced drinks and the staff are very friendly. Pioneers is perfect for those who are looking for a no frills and humble place to have drinks and have fun. It is very spacious in the back area as well, so our large group was easily accommodated.

I love this bar! my friends and i always stop by when we're in the area. The bartenders are awesome! James was the best! Now we have Malachi and he's great! Drinks are inexpensive, the place is decorated in an eclectic style, it's my favorite.

Walked in at 11:35 on a Saturday. Not busy at all. Nonetheless, we sat at the almost completely empty bar for 25 minutes and the bartender completely ignored us, but served other random people who walked up to the bar. Absolutely unbelievable. Avoid this hole at all costs.

Went here for a Saturday outing and was NOT disappointed! Great beer selection, great Jenga, and a pool table, all at a good price point esp for manhattan! Would go again!

This bar was a quick walk after playing mini golf from Swingers. A cozy bar to get a beer or two while playing table games and watching sports. We played beer pong and giant jenga which were both fun. The back area has plenty of places to sit and hang out.

This is a great post-work bar to have a few drinks and play a few games. It's chill - has a good variety of seltzers and drinks and is spacious in the back. The bathroom and some couches were dirty but other than that, the place is solid!

Love this place! Near the hotel, so I hung out here a bit. The vibe is chill and they have a large tap option for beers, soda and ciders. Of course, there are plenty of liquor and mix drink options, too. Come here to watch the game or play games with friends while catching up! They've got pool, large Jenga, connect 4, board games and more!

Gary is the best!! Come see him you won't be disappointed! I'm Visiting from Arkansas

Came here early on a saturday night. Drinks were good, songs were all bangers (hats off to the bartender on Aux), and the place was decorated so cool. Eclectic garage decor but looked really nice. They have a lot of games to keep you occupied as you drink up, from giant Jenga, pool, beer pong, basketball. Such a cool spot, i'll be back!!

Since that night, I've been back many times and Chris and Selena have taken great care of me! Highly recommended.

Another fav review for James!! What a awesome dude. Thanks for making our night! Will definitely not be the last time we come here! #james

Apparently, the door guy is a delicate flower. Approach with caution. Can't comment on anything beyond that.

The service is always professional and courteous to all customers who go in. I love to go to this range and put in my weekly range time. The ambiance is great and everyone is attentive. I wish this range would be open earlier than 11:00am.

Great time! Lots of games, cheap drinks, tvs going. No complaints. I really like it here during the week, have not seen it on the weekend yet! Protip: hold your glass or keep it on a different table while playing giant Jenga, we did not and when the tower fell so did three full beers (I'm sure it happens often).

This is my second time here and the second time the bartenders just looked at me and my friend waiting to order and then just went back to their obviously very important conversation. This last time thought was special..they ignored us for a minute then decided to play rock paper scissors to decide who would do their job next. Truly insane and horrible service. I've worked in the industry for 6 years and this is by far the laziest staff I've ever come across. Drinks are cheap tho! :)

James was a fantastic bartender so fun to talk to and made me really like this place!!! First time BUT won't be the last. #james

Great bar experience. I'd highly recommend this spot if you are looking to unwind and grab a beer and watch a game.

There's free games!!! Including janga and board games. The drinks are affordable. There's cool and comfortable couches. Definitely happy I stumbled across this bar. Bringing outside food is accepted. It's pretty busy.

Great drinks , great customer service , Games, positive energy.. top fav bartenders (James , Mitch ) always recommend coming here , You can't go wrong coming here really five stars *****

James form the Bronx is the best bartender! Absolutely love the variety of drinks availability - especially shelters. Proud to be part of the Pioneers Posse!

This is a dive bar this is not an upscale bar. This is a come as you are place and be prepared to size up the competition because with games such as jenga, connect 4 etc you are bound to play a game or two. The bar has a pretty huge beer list. I am not really into beer but if you are your in the right place. Food- they have pizza. However they allow you to order from other places. Wish i knew this prior to going so heads up folks bring your own food. There was a male bartender with long hair who was amazing. I didn't get his name but i am a sucker for good service so I'll be back.

I Realli enjoyed myself on a random Tuesday night and my last night in New York. Looking forward to returning!

No nonsense place, cozy, some games (no pinball right now), some bar food available and a decent happy hour. Great service, good selection of drinks - not a dive bar but not overpriced either - nice space overall.

Really fun late night hang out! We loved the $8 frozen margaritas that were strong! The large jenga and connect 4 was free and fun. The decorations are odd and funny. Kinda like dive bar/frat party vibes, but it's a pretty large space for NYC and great drink prices. I recommend the coming here on your bar hopping adventures or for cheap late night fun!

I've been here a few times after co-ed sports games with a group. The layout is spacious and they have a good size bar. There are some pinball machines toward the front and a few other arcade type games. The main draw of pioneers is the oversized jenga, connect 4, and other games. These are fun in a good group setting but the games and bar itself is pretty grimy. There's some seating such as an old leather couch but I wouldn't trust sitting on it. The whole place just doesn't feel clean. Pioneers doesn't sell food besides popcorn and potato chips, however they let you order delivery to eat in the bar which is good I guess. The bathrooms aren't very clean and on skeevy side. The place in general needs a renovation and deep cleaning. Still, a fun bar.

This place is always closing hours way before the time on the website and on yelp. Tried 4 times and every time the bartenders say they have done last call 2-3hrs before closing time on website.

This is my go-to spot for drinks before I pop into improv. The price point is great, everyone here is super friendly and most of the patrons are either part of the improv crowd or artists of some kind, which I love. It's a great bar in the area and I will continue to come back and bring friends. Note this is a larger bar too and can accommodate large groups! 4.7/5

Does it get any better than this? Pool, Jenga, basketball. I've seen life, and this is it. So much potential for a night on the town. Five stars. Five stars. This is it. Great staff great bar good beers good people how do I explain? Take a chance enjoy life at Pioneer. We just be some bros doing beers on the occasion some baes pop thru u know how it is. Life is beautiful. If you can do no good at least do no wrong- Hippocrates.

This place is different and cool, but if you're looking for real food to eat... look for delivery. The only food option here is bagged chips, popcorn and microwaveable pizza. Anything can be ordered in though.. which is strangely weird. However, the giant games, pool table, arcade games and such are super fun and free. Lots of tvs and big screens to watch. Service isn't GREAT, but not the worst either. Gets packed after 5pm! So if you want to play a game, come early or plan on at sticking around a while!

I came to this bar because I got $3 off my first drink after seeing a show next door. I did not expect to see such a wide range of games to be available; it was a pleasant surprise. This bar boasts a large space with room for huge connect 4 setups, a couple projectors to show sports and/or video games, and card and board games that you can request to play. Drinks are fairly expensive. Most beers cost at least $8 on tap but I did notice that certain beers will go on sale sometimes, like Michelob Ultra. Still, prices that high make me think twice before coming through. I probably will only come back at someone else's suggestion.

Fun sports bar pretty close to MSG, they've got a ton of games in the back including pool, connect 4, and some arcade games. They serve pizza here, which is a huge win. The pizza is not good but the fact that you don't have to leave is amazing

Bring back the 90s for me is going to Pioneers to have drinks and have fun while I play some old boards and video games. The place was very packed and you had to make a line in order to play a game. My group and I decide to play to play some Connect 4 and Jenga, but the game was not a regular size, it was a jumbo sized there were almost my height. In a big scream people were playing super smash brother and Mario car for Nintendo 64 and also a few of pinball arcade games. The drinks a very good and the price are accessible the staff are good and nice.

I really enjoyed this place. We stopped in on our way to Penn Station from our hotel at around 5pm on a Sunday. It wasn't super busy, but not dead either. We grabbed a couple of beers and played jenga. The bartender was very friendly and provided us with recommendations for local beer. The vibe is really chill and would be a nice place for a group of friends to hang out or even a casual date. They have pool tables, pinball machines, several jenga sets, and TVs. If I lived in NYC, I would return!

This place is like if the year 2012 met a Netflix produced romantic comedy but honestly in a good way. If you like feeling like you've been dropped into a time machine and arrived as a movie extra in Netflix's next smash hit, and if you like big jenga, this is your spot. I'm kinda obsessed

I have been to Pioneers twice now and have had similar experiences both times. They had a terrific beer list and a fun atmosphere, complete with pinball machines, life-sized Jenga, and more. However, these enjoyable beverages and diversions also led to massive crowding, which I experienced on both a weekday night and a Saturday evening. I would definitely recommend checking out Pioneers, especially with a small group of friends, but try to arrive on the earlier side to avoid the crowds and get the most out of your experience.

This isn't a place I would typically go to in my free time, but it was great for a very casual, comfortable happy hour with co-workers. It's actually rather spacious, clean and comfy with couches in the back. Giant Jenga and Connect 4 games are available to play for free. There are also two huge screens where people can play video games, like Smash Brothers. Two clean unisex, single-stall BRs located behind the bar. Classy "Poopin'" signs glow above them.

Here's the story folks, I love this bar like my brother loves a ballsack, but i can't appreciate dishonesty. I scored 470 on skeeball, and was denied my free drink (please see attached photo). Normally speaking, being denied is my way of things, but i was here with my puerto rican hot spot girlfriend janet, and we were both humiliated by my turn-down at the bar. This is a great bar, but the skeeball policy is effervescent at best. Buck B

We stayed at the hotel next door for 3 nights and came here every night. James the bartender made our experience so special while we were here in NYC! He was wicked helpful and knowledgeable. Along with ALL the other staff working last weekend! Everyone was so friendly and attentive. The drinks were great and so was the atmosphere. Highly recommend going here. We will definitely be back!

James and Kyle are the BEST!!! I love it here. Such kind people and awesome place!

How is this place still open? Recently went by there and saw that it was shut down by the Department of Health. Went by there last night as saw that it was open. Place was filthy! Bartender was rude. NEVER COMING BACK! Gross! Gross! Gross!

Came with a large group on a Saturday night and the place was nearly empty. Being mostly Asian and young looking, the bartender (white woman) refused to serve our group more than 2 rounds of shots. Although none of our group members were drunk or acting drunk, the bartender still refused to serve us, even after speaking reasonably with her. If you're young looking or Asian, I don't recommend coming to this bar.